The Miami Dolphins can’t afford to draft Baker Mayfield
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are a hot landing spot for Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. At least in most mock drafts.
Miami is reportedly very high on the incoming rookie signal caller and they should have a plan in place to find a quarterback to groom behind Ryan Tannehill. Drafting one is the smartest way to go about finding depth and a future leader of the franchise.
At number 11 the Dolphins will have a some choices to make and Mayfield and other quarterbacks could be on the board when the Dolphins select but drafting a quarterback, any quarterback, may not be the smartest move and frankly, the Dolphins can’t afford to draft a guy like Mayfield in the first round.
Quarterback is a critical position in the NFL and as fans witnessed on Sunday night, a good back-up can lead you to a championship title. Miami doesn’t have a good back-up. They don’t even have a good third string QB. This is a problem for a team whose starting QB is coming off an ACL surgery.
The problem is however that Miami is missing so much more than just a back-up quarterback or a signal caller. Mayfield is on the top of this author’s list but is he a generational quarterback that will take Miami to the next level for another decade and more? Probably not. This is why Miami can’t afford to waste a first round pick.
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If the Dolphins drafted Mayfield I would be fine but at what expense? Should the Dolphins pass on a top rated linebacker like Roquan Smith or a potential generational guard like Quenton Nelson? Should the Dolphins even pass on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in favor of a quarterback? Probably not.
At least two of those players should be at pick number 11 and there could be a top corner or safety available as well.
Jumping into round two you would think Miami could take a QB then but again do you pass on a potential starting center to replace Mike Pouncey or a high prospect tight-end? The Dolphins have needs across the board that can be filled in the first two rounds of the draft with impact players but drafting a quarterback that will not start for a year or two is not the best play when you are drafting this high and can nail a blue-chip prospect.
It’s the double-edged sword that Miami has put themselves upon. Poor free agency moves and poor drafts have left the team with too many needs and not enough draft picks to fill them with. Baker Mayfield makes a lot of sense for the Dolphins but unless they are uncertain about Tannehill’s immediate future, they may have forced themselves to look elsewhere. The good news is that Miami has free agency to hopefully fill some of those big holes.